At least the ending is turning out to be pretty perfect
by WildHurricane
Summary: Kurt and Blaine spend their first Christmas as married together in the house they've just bought. Their families are coming for their first visit to spend Christmas with them. It doesn't exactly turn out the way Blaine had planned.


_A/N: I was invited to participate in grlnxtdr29's Klaine Christmas Challenge. The premises were that the store should begin or end on Christmas Eve and my story should contain the randomly selected themes "first Christma" and "families". I love this combination of themes, and the story camr to me within 5 minutes after I got my themes - do I need to say family drama? ;)_

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They had bought a house. It was old and worn and in need of renovation, but it was their own and they loved it. Buying a house had been Blaine's idea, as had moving to upstate New York. Kurt had been a bit hesitant, not about the house because he'd live with Blaine in a tent if that was what Blaine wanted. It was leaving New York City that Kurt had doubts about. It would mean leaving their friends and his Broadway career behind. A career that hadn't really taken off yet, but it was only a matter of time and persistence.

One late night lying in bed, wrapped in each other's arms, Blaine's head resting on Kurt's chest, Blaine had whispered that moving away from the city could give Kurt the chance and space to do what he'd always dreamed to do but never taken the time to. The words wouldn't leave Kurt's mind, and when Blaine one weekend took him to Ellenville, the small town where Blaine had applied to and been offered a teaching position, his doubt soon disappeared. Kurt fell in love with the town, especially the beautiful views of the Shawangunk Ridge, and he knew this would be the perfect place to do what he'd wanted to do since high school.

The small house was the third on the lists of houses the realtor wanted to show them. They didn't make it further on that list. It wasn't perfect, there were lots of things that needed to be fixed, but they fell in love. It had a small backyard with a small porch and a grand view of the mountains. Kurt could picture many afternoons sitting there, looking out over the greatness of nature and see it shift with the seasons, while waiting for Blaine to come home.

They spent the summer planning, packing and saying goodbye. Came August, they left their apartment and moved the one hundred miles north just in time for Blaine to start his new job. The settling in took some time. Blaine practically ordered Kurt to not do any unpacking while he was at work and Kurt was alone at home. Unpacking could be done on weekends. But weekends were also for lazy mornings in bed, exploring the surroundings and getting to know their new home town. And for fixing up their new/old house. Which was why the final box hadn't been unpacked until last night, four months after they moved in, just in time for their families' first visit.

Blaine had wanted to invite them for Thanksgiving weekend, but Kurt had refused to have any guests over until everything was unpacked, the walls repainted and the kitchen renovated. This was going to be the first Christmas they all spent together, and Kurt wanted everything to be perfect. It would also be the first Christmas as husbands and Kurt didn't want things like broken cabinets and half-finished paint jobs to tarnish that memory.

"Shouldn't they be here by now?" Blaine stood in their kitchen looking out the window at the driveway. Around the neck of his favorite a red shirt he wore his favorite Christmas bow tie, the green one with little Santas on it that Kurt had given him one Christmas morning four years ago. He looked worried but Kurt knew it was only because he had been looking forward to this moment since the day they moved in.

Kurt walked up to Blaine and wrapped his arms around him from behind. "Relax," he whispered softly into his ear. "I'm sure they'll be here soon. There's just a lot of fresh snow on the roads."

It had snowed all day and everything - the threes, the land, the roads - was covered in a white blanket. As they stood there, looking out the window, snowflakes were still silently floating to the ground in the beautiful fairytale world outside.

"Do you think something happened to them?"

The worry in his voice was cute and Kurt hugged him a little tighter, resting his chin against Blaine's shoulder. "Cooper texted you ten minutes ago, I'm sure they're fine. Besides, it's my dad who's driving. You know he's rather safe than sorry when it comes to everything."

As Kurt spoke the words, the headlights of a car slowly approached their house. Theirs was the last on a dead end road and there was no doubt the car was heading their way.

"See, they're here now."

"What if they don't like the house?" A sudden, last minute nervousness came over Blaine.

"I'm sure they will. And if they don't, then that's their problem not ours. We love it and that's all that matters."

As Blaine turned around in Kurt's arms to give him a kiss, Kurt could see the excited smile on his husband's face. He loved seeing Blaine this happy. It made staying up real late last night, unpacking and decorating the Christmas tree, completely worth it.

Soon the doorbell sounded and as they opened the door five friendly faces were smiling back at them. "Merry Christmas!" they said in unison, as if it was something they'd practiced in the car.

Hugs between two husbands and five dear family members were exchanged as they shuffled into the small, and soon crowded, entrance.

"I'm sorry we're late, your mother made us stop twice on our way up here," Michael said to Blaine. There was an annoyed sigh in the words that didn't go Kurt by unnoticed.

"Oh, shush Michael. Would you rather I went in the car?" Pam snickered as she embraced Kurt. Kurt could smell a faint hint of alcohol on her breath, which he knew was because of his mother-in-law's fear of flying. At least it made her giggly rather than unbearable.

"Besides," Pam continued, "it wasn't only me. Carole needed to use the restroom too. And Burt had to drive carefully in all that snow."

"The roads were quite dreadful," Carole filled in with laughter.

"And you know me-," Burt started.

"Better safe than sorry," Kurt and Blaine said simultaneously with Burt, which made everybody laugh.

"I am so happy that you're all here!" Blaine said, wrapping his arm around Kurt's shoulders, squeezing him a little.

"Me too," Kurt added, though his excitement was probably not on the same level as Blaine's. Kurt knew what Blaine's family could be like. He hoped for Blaine's sake they'd be different during the holidays, but he had his doubts. Blaine knew too of course, but sometimes it seemed as he forgot between visits. Or maybe he had just a very forgiving nature when it came to his family.

"So are we, kiddo," Burt said.

"Dad, I'm married now, maybe it's time you stopped calling me _kiddo._ " He knew the words were out of love, but Kurt felt like he was fifteen every time his dad did that and maybe it was time they grew out of it.

"You are going to be my kiddo until the day I'm too senile to remember to call you that," Burt stated with something sentimental in his eyes.

Or maybe not.

The statement had Pam giggling some more and Kurt roll his eyes fondly.

"Squirt," Cooper said, ruffling Blaine's carefully combed and gelled hair, "are you going to let us stand here all day or are you going to invite us in and give us the grand tour?"

Another _great_ family nickname, Kurt thought to himself as he watched Blaine swat his brother's hand away and adjust his hair. He knew how much Blaine hated the name, but no matter how many times he'd told Cooper to stop, he kept on using it. They were doomed to be _kiddo_ and _squirt_ for the rest of their lives.

"Of course, come on in." Blaine gestured for them to take of their coats and follow him further into the house.

"We're so excited to finally see how you live," Carole said as she shrugged out of her coat and handed it to Burt.

There was an old black coat rack standing just inside the door, next to a small table with a wooden bowl on it where they kept their keys, and as Burt was closest to the door he accepted everyone's coats as they handed them to him and hung them on the rack.

"It's like they've been keeping us away, not wanting us to come and visit," Pam said to Carole. "We wanted to come sooner, but Blaine told us no."

"We just wanted to settle in and unpack everything before we invited you out here," Blaine said.

Kurt couldn't help the little thrill that rushed through him when Blaine said those words because they were only partly true. Blaine would happily have had guests their first week in the new house, but Kurt was the one who wanted to postpone, for everything to be perfect before he let their families come to visit. Hearing Blaine repeat his words as if they were something they both felt, made Kurt love his husband a little bit more than before, not that it was really possible.

It had been almost a year now since they got married, but that feeling of being so in love you almost burst didn't go away. Being newlyweds was a special time that Kurt wanted to treasure and keep to themselves for as long as they could. Which was another reason Kurt had wanted to push back on visits.

"For four months, sweetie?" Pam asked and raised a perfectly sculptured eyebrow.

"We're here now," Michael said with a strained smile plastered on his face, "let them be, darling."

"But isn't it a little strange, not wanting your own parents to come and visit?"

"He's not living at home anymore, dear. It's time you stop treating him as if he did." Michael's tone was light but his smile increasingly forced. It probably wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation and looks were exchanged between Blaine's parents. Whatever was said in those looks, it kept Pam from commenting further.

Kurt could feel Blaine stiffen beside him and when he glanced at Blaine he saw that although he was still smiling, his eyes had lost some of its glow.

"How was the trip up here?" Kurt asked to change the subject. "I mean, besides the snowy roads and the bathroom stops. Did you find each other all right at Newark?"

It was Blaine who had suggested for all five family members to meet up at Newark, rent a car and drive the two hours to Ellenville together. Their parents didn't get together all that often, last time was at the wedding, and Blaine had thought the small road trip would give them time to reacquaint so all those initial conversations were out of the way when they arrived and they could jump right into Christmas celebrations.

"It was so much fun!" Pam said cheerfully, flinging her long brown hair over one shoulder. All previous annoyance with her son gone.

"If you count being crammed into the middle seat between two chatting ladies as fun." Cooper sighed dramatically while making a face.

"Oh, Cooper," Pam giggled, "you had fun too. You and Carole talked so much about your latest movie."

It wasn't so much a movie as a lengthy commercial, but Kurt kept those words to himself.

"It was a great idea for us to drive up here together, sweetie," Carole said and squeezed Blaine's hand. "We had time to catch up and fill each other in on what's been going on since your wedding."

Both Kurt and Blaine sent her appreciative smiles. She was a sweetheart, she always had been.

"And Burt and I had a really great talk about the current political situation, right Burt?" Michael turned and nudged Burt in the side.

"How about that tour?" Burt asked from the back in the small hallway, clearly not wanting to revisit that conversation. Kurt wondered what political nonsense Michael had brought up this time.

"Yes, this way to the kitchen," Blaine said, relaxing a little by Kurt's side and gesturing for them all to follow him. Michael's smile faltered for a second, but he quickly gathered himself.

The kitchen smelled of coffee and the sugar cookies Blaine had spent the entire morning baking. He'd gotten up early to make sure he had enough time to decorate them with frosting in bright, Christmassy colors and patterns, while Kurt was still in bed sleeping after spending half the night getting the house ready for their guests.

"This is such a lovely kitchen," Carole said as she looked around. "It's so cozy, and I absolutely love the colors! Was it like this when you moved in?"

The kitchen had white walls, a tiled floor in dove gray and kitchen cabinets that were dark turquoise (which was not the same as teal Blaine had informed Kurt when he had tried to describe the color to the guy in the paint store). They spent a weekend in November painting the doors of the cabinets, a weekend from which Kurt had many fond memories, even if he had to throw away his shirt afterwards.

"Actually, Blaine chose the color and we painted the cabinets ourselves." Kurt was proud of what they had accomplished. He loved their kitchen, loved how the sun from the large window facing the front yard made the turquoise sparkle like the ocean.

"Impressive, baby brother. I'd never guess you'd know how to use a paint brush. A hair brush maybe," Cooper said and ruffled Blaine's hair again. "Although the color is a bit dull. My kitchen is bright yellow and it just feels like I'm hit with a ray of sunshine every time I walk into it. Here I feel like I'm drowning."

"Well, we love it," Kurt said, watching his husband's shoulders slump as his eyes focused on the floor. Cooper's constant need to point out Blaine's shortcomings and his need to outshine his brother always made Blaine quiet and Kurt hated it. He wanted to wrap him up in the biggest hug, but he knew at times like this Blaine didn't want to draw attention to himself, so Kurt settled for a hand on Blaine's lower back.

"Oh, you have eggnog," Pam said excitedly as she noticed the punch bowl they had prepared for later. "Do you mind if I have some?"

"Go ahead," Blaine said, resignation clear in his voice.

"Anyone else?" Pam asked as she took one of the coffee mugs Blaine had set out and filled it with eggnog.

Everyone else declined and had coffee instead. With mugs in their hands, they moved into the living room. There was a big beautiful tree, a Fraser Fir, done up in tinsel and lights and all sorts of decorations that shone and glimmered. Evergreen boughs set off with big red bows were draped along the fireplace mantel just above two stockings. The fireplace wasn't working yet, it was one of the things they still planned to get to, and instead it was filled with burning candles. The cushions and fur rug placed in front of the fireplace was Kurt and Blaine's favorite spot to snuggle up on when the sun had set and the day's chores were finished.

The tree was focal point of the room and had everyone in aww, not even Cooper could find something negative to say about it. The praising made Blaine light up again, and he enthusiastically told them about the garden that lay on the other side of the windows and the views of Shawangunk Ridge, though it was too dark to see it now.

"And this is our bedroom," Blaine said as they moved on with the tour.

Cooper pushed his way through the parents gathered in the doorway to peek inside the room. This room was the one Kurt loved the most, the one they spent most hours planning out. Colors, fabrics, and textures were all carefully selected to create a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. It was small but cozy, just like the rest of the house. The center of the room was of course the big bed with the grand upholstered headboard in soft dark gray. The bedding was white with accented blankets and throw pillows in gray, blush and light pink. A picture of waves crashing against the shore with a soft pink sunset as backdrop hung on one of the ivory walls.

Cooper threw himself, back first, on the bed. Kurt cringed as he watched how Cooper messed up his neatly arranged pillows. "So this is where all the magic happens."

The comment made Burt and Michael blush, Pam let out an embarrassed laughter and Blaine groan. Only Kurt and Carole took the comment with equanimity. Kurt rolled his eyes and Carole simply smiled.

"When are you gonna make me an uncle, huh?" Cooper waggled his eyebrows and put on his widest grin.

"Honey, you know that they can't actually…" Pam said, blushing, while making a gesture with her hands. Kurt couldn't tell if it was meant to resemble childbirth or a pregnant belly.

"Yes mother," Cooper said dryly. "I paid enough attention in biology class to know how babies are made."

"Oh." Pam blushed, giggled some more, and emptied her eggnog. "Well, I wasn't sure since you seem to believe what they do in bed-"

"So, Kurt," Michael quickly interrupted, "how's that writing going? Blaine tells me you're stuck."

"I did not tell him that!" Blaine turned to Kurt, searched his eyes worriedly, and reached for his hand. "I simply told him that some days it's easier than others."

Since they moved to Ellenville, Kurt had spent his days writing his own musical. A musical designed to fit him perfectly, the kind that would make him a star on Broadway. It wasn't as easy as he'd imagined and lately he had been stuck. Blaine knew that, and he also knew Kurt didn't like to talk about it, it stressed him and he'd rather not think about his project when he hit writer's block. He knew the words and inspiration would come back to him if he left it alone for a few days.

"It's okay." Kurt stroke his thumb across Blaine's knuckles, trying to reassure him it was okay for him to talk about Kurt and his writing with his father. He then turned towards Michael. "The writing is going well, just a minor bump in the road at the moment."

"Ah, okay," Michael said, but his curiosity wasn't stilled. "What's it all about? Blaine won't tell me that."

Blaine of course knew every detail of what Kurt had written so far. In the dark, after they've gone to bed, Kurt would often paint images with his words on the progress he'd made in his musical that day. Blaine would lay there, listen, and take it all in. But Blaine also knew Kurt didn't want to discuss his writing with others.

"I'd rather keep that to myself until I'm finished with it. I don't want any outside influences, I want it to be all my own ideas."

"I see… And you're sure it's gonna be a hit? That it will get you on Broadway?" The words were uttered with great doubt.

" _Dad!_ "

"You can never be sure of that," Kurt answered in a calm, unaffected voice. He'd asked himself those same questions several times before he decided to follow his dream. Blaine had always told him he could do anything he set his mind to, that he believed in him, and it made Kurt a believer too. It also helped that he had connections. "But I have a friend in the industry who promised to read it through when I'm finished."

"So when do you think you will be finished? How long will you live on my son's money?" Michael joked. Sort of.

"Dad, stop! You can't ask that. Kurt is my husband, what's mine is his!" Blaine stared at his dad, his face reddening, not catching the joking tone at all in Michael's voice.

Kurt realized then that Blaine had been waiting for a comment like this from his father, waiting for him to find something he could use to question their relationship and the life they were building together. Now that Blaine thought he heard it, the words snapped out of him.

Kurt hated to see Blaine getting himself worked up. Hated to see him upset when he'd been looking forward to this day, this Christmas, for so long. But most of all he hated that he'd been so busy making sure everything was perfect that he hadn't foreseen this worry in Blaine. He took Blaine's hand in his and squeezed it gently.

Kurt could understand where Michael was coming from, that his question was out of concern for his son, because he too knew it wasn't really a joke. Michael had never been good at hiding that he thought they were too young to be married and too young to own a house together (though he often tried his best to not show his true feelings). But it was only because he hadn't had the chance to see how good they were together. Kurt was convinced that was the case. They rarely saw Blaine's parents so how could Michael know that Kurt would move mountains for Blaine? Maybe this Christmas Kurt would get the opportunity to show him.

"I can if I think it's not in my son's best interest," Michael said, raising his voice slightly, the irritation he'd been trying to hide shining through.

"I'm sure the kids have it figured out," Burt said calmly.

"Yes, Michael, listen to Burt. I'm sure they have it figured out. They're not teenagers anymore." Pam returned the look she'd gotten from her husband earlier, though it was quickly followed by a nervous and overly merry laughter. She did not want her husband and son to start arguing.

"Do you now? Have they shown you payment plans? Or a prenup? Or anything at all that tells you moving out here wasn't a rash decision of two young men who desperately wants to prove they're grown up?"

"I think this is quite enough," Burt said tight-lipped.

"Okay, who wants to see the basement?" Blaine asked, wanting to end the conversation before it grew into something bigger that would ruin not only today but their entire stay over Christmas. But no one listened to him.

Michael crossed his arms, his tone stiff and surly as he spoke. "Enough? I don't think they've thought this through _enough_. Owning a house is expensive. It comes with responsibilities."

"And I know our sons well enough to know they wouldn't make a rash decision. They wouldn't be here if it wasn't something they both knew they could manage. Financially and otherwise." Burt's face was turning red.

"They're 22. At 22 you still think you're unstoppable. You believe you know everything and have it all figured out. You and I both know that's not the case."

"We might not have everything figured out," Kurt interrupted, defending himself and Blaine, "but we know this was the right thing for us."

"Of course you would say that. You're the one sitting around the house all day while my son is out there working, bringing home the money," Michael said. Then he shook his head and muttered. "Writing a musical."

"Watch what you're saying," Burt said, the warning in his tone unmistakable.

"You don't know us. You don't know what our life is like. Blaine and I both-"

Michael cut Kurt off before he could finish. "I know enough."

"Michael, leave it be now." Pam raced her voice, it was still overly merry, but there was a warning and a plea in there too. She then turned with an apologetic smile to Carole. "Don't mind him. He's just had a really stressful month at the office, you know before the holidays and all."

"That's not what this is about, dear." Michael said condescendingly.

"Stop it!" Blaine's voice cut through the room and everyone turned to look at him. "Can you please just stop!"

"Seriously though," Cooper butted in now that the room had gone quiet. He sat up on the bed to make sure he had everyone's attention. "How can you afford this house if you're relying on Blaine's simple teacher paycheck?"

"We just do!" Blaine had had enough, he had reached his boiling point. Kurt had watched how his Christmas excitement had slowly died as the afternoon progressed and now it was all gone. "I just wanted a nice, peaceful and happy Christmas, but apparently we can't do that in our family!"

The room fell silent as Blaine's words echoed between them. Eyes wandered, looking everywhere but at Blaine. Only Kurt looked at him, saw the tears in his eyes, saw his slumped shoulders and his upset face. The discomfort in the room was tangible. Kurt tried to find something to say, anything that would break the tension and put a smile back on Blaine's face, but came up with nothing.

"Would you like to show us the basement, sweetie?" Carole asked softly.

"Yes, I would love to see the basement," Pam agreed. "Maybe just a quick stop by the kitchen to get some more eggnog." She held up her mug for everyone to see that it was empty.

"Fine." With reluctance and no enthusiasm whatsoever, Blaine led them out of the bedroom.

On Kurt's way out, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around to see his dad's worried face.

"If you need help with money, you know you can always come to me, right?"

"I know," Kurt said, feeling more grateful than ever for his own family, "but we manage just fine. The school really wanted to hire Blaine so they offered him a very decent salary, and I've got some money put away from the play I was in. We might not be living in abundance, but we don't have to turn every penny either. But thank you, dad."

"Any time, kiddo. And as long as you are happy, I'm happy."

"I'm always gonna be happy with Blaine."

"I know, and that makes you living 600 miles away so much easier to bear."

Kurt hugged his dad. "I miss you too, dad."

When Burt let go he looked away, but Kurt could see that his eyes were welling up. "I think your husband might need your hug and support right now," Burt said. "You should go to him. I'll be right there, I'm just gonna…"

"Are you okay, dad?" Kurt had lived in New York for so many years, it hadn't occurred to him that his dad still missed him. He knew he hadn't been as frequent in his calls this fall, and this was the first time they'd seen each other since the beginning of summer. Now that Burt was standing there, with tears in his eyes, Kurt realized just how much he'd missed him too.

"Yes, yes. I just want to… eh… to…"

Kurt erased the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his dad again. "I love you, dad," he whispered.

"Love you, too," Burt said with a voice more raspy than normal.

Kurt went to find Blaine and the rest of the family members in the basement. He offered his hand in support to Blaine, but it made little difference. Blaine's Christmas spirit was already broken.

The rest of the evening went by with only some minor ill-suited comments from Cooper, none of which were aimed at Blaine. No one mentioned the conversation that went down in the bedroom, instead everybody did their best to have a pleasant and merry Christmas Eve. The general atmosphere was happy, they were eating and drinking and laughing, but Kurt could tell Blaine's heart wasn't in it though he tried his best to hide it.

When the sleeping arrangements had been sorted out - Blaine's parents in the guest room downstairs, with Cooper on the pull out couch, and Burt and Carole in Kurt and Blaine's bedroom (both of them protesting against taking their bed, but Kurt and Blaine insisting it was what they wanted) - and everyone had said goodnight, Kurt found Blaine in the single foldable bed set up in the living room.

The Christmas tree lights had been turned off, leaving the room dark and eerie. Everything was quiet except for Blaine's uneven breathing and the big grandfather clock tick-tocking beside the bed. Blaine looked so tiny from where Kurt was standing by the doorframe, the figure of his body all curled up and hidden under the covers with only his curls sticking up. Kurt looked up at the mistletoe hanging above him wishing he'd gotten the chance to kiss Blaine after their families arrived. He'd wanted nothing more on several occasions - to pull Blaine close and kiss away the crestfallen look on his face - but Blaine had closed himself off after the incident. Kurt felt so bad about letting himself get drawn into it. That he'd let it go on without stopping it when he knew that scenario was exactly what Blaine had feared the most.

Kurt stepped away from the doorframe and padded over to the bed. He lifted the covers and slipped under, the bed squeaked as he did. He slid his arms around his husband and held him tight. Blaine's hair, still damp from his shower, smelled of sandalwood, vanilla and tangerine. It was Kurt's favorite scent and sometimes when Blaine wasn't at home he'd borrow his shampoo just so that he could still smell Blaine around him. Now Kurt had Blaine next to him, but he was worried it would be like Blaine wasn't there, that he would continue to close himself off. To his relief he could feel Blaine relax and lean into his touch.

"I'm sorry today was…" Kurt couldn't even find a word to describe what today had been.

"My mother is turning into a drunk." Blaine sighed and though he was facing the wall with Kurt spooning him, Kurt could tell Blaine was silently crying. He held him tighter, wishing he could take some of his worries and make it his own.

"She's not, Blaine." Sure Pam had an eggnog or two since they arrived, and something to calm her nerves before getting onto the plane, and yes, some wine during dinner, but that did not make her a drunk.

Kurt took a strand of hair and played with it between his fingertips, he knew how much Blaine loved it when he did that. He wondered if Blaine talked about his mom because he still couldn't deal with talking about his dad and what he had said.

"Those stops along the way was not because she needed to use the restroom. It was so that she could take another drink from the flask she's got in her purse."

"Really?" Kurt felt himself frown. It didn't sound like the Pam he knew, then again he didn't know her very well.

"It's what she does when she's nervous."

"Nervous? But why would she be nervous? She's met us all before."

"She's worried about making a fool of herself in front of your Burt and Carole." Blaine sniffed quietly.

"But it's the drinking that's making her…"

"I know. Ironic, huh?" Blaine sighed again. "This was a terrible idea. Tomorrow is going to be a disaster."

"No, why do you say that?"

"Because it's true. My family isn't like yours. Burt and Carole are the kindest people I know, they're sweet and caring, and well-functioning and I love them to pieces. But my family-"

"Is your family," Kurt cut off softly. "We've all met them before, we know what they're like, which isn't as bad as you think, and whether you believe me or not we love them just the way they are."

"Even my dad?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"Even your dad," Kurt confirmed. Michael might have his doubts about them but Kurt was determined to prove him wrong and win him over. "He's only looking out for you. In his own way."

"But you haven't seen my family at Christmas. My mother drinks too much eggnog and gets too loud." Blaine tensed in Kurt's arms, worrying too much again.

"Then we'll hide the eggnog."

"My father is gonna keep pestering you about your play, and me about money and our decision to buy our house, because he can't let things go. I don't think I can do this all over again tomorrow."

"I'll just print him what I have written so far, so he can see what a _masterpiece_ I'm working on," Kurt said theatrically, "isn't a waste of time. It should keep him busy and out of our way for a few hours."

"I love you for saying that, but you shouldn't have to. He should learn how to know when enough is enough."

"If it gets him to shut up and for you to stop worrying, then I'll happily do it." Kurt would do anything for Blaine to relax and have the Christmas of his dreams. Kurt would do anything for Blaine period.

"And Cooper… well Cooper just don't know when to stop." Blaine continued on his mental list of things that would make Christmas a disaster.

"Cooper we might not be able to do much about," Kurt smiled. "I know you think he's inappropriate-"

"He is!"

"Okay, yes, he is, and he might get a kick out of embarrassing you, but he only says those things because he cares about you and because he loves you. It's his weird way of showing you that."

The bed squeaked as Blaine turned around in Kurt's arms, cupped his cheeks with both hands and pulled him into a fierce kiss. The kiss tasted like toothpaste and tears. "This is my way of showing you that I love you," Blaine said, his forehead still pressed to Kurt's.

"I love you, too," Kurt said, out of breath from the intensity of the kiss. "Tomorrow is going to be magical. You know why?"

Blaine shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead against Kurt's.

"Because it's the first Christmas in our _house_ , in our first home together."

"This is not our first home togeth-"

Kurt placed a finger on Blaine's lips. "Sssh, don't ruin my moment with technicalities." His voice was warm and teasing. "It's our first Christmas in our first home and we're spending it with the people that matter the most to us. They might not be perfect, but neither are we. I care too much about everything being perfect and you care too much about making everyone else happy, completely forgetting yourself. But no matter what, we love them and they love us and we're lucky to have them all gathered here."

Blaine kissed Kurt again, gentler this time. His fingers graced Kurt's jawline, his thumb brushed over his cheek. "You're right. You're always right."

"I know, that's why you married me."

Blaine smiled and slid his hand down to pinch Kurt's butt. " _This_ is why I married you. Don't get any crazy ideas in your head."

Kurt laughed and ignored his husband's inappropriate insinuations. His Blaine, his warm, caring and funny Blaine was back and he could be as inappropriate as he liked because Kurt got to see that beautiful smile and call him his husband. "I don't care about your reasons as long as you'll always love me."

"Always."

The word was uttered with such seriousness it made Kurt shiver and his laughter die out. Blaine was so beautiful, inside and out, that it sometimes hurt to be in his presence. He was this precious, rare, adorable human being that had changed Kurt's life from the moment he stepped into it and every single day since. Kurt still couldn't believe that this was real, that this was his life.

"Look, it's snowing again," Blaine whispered. The excitement was back in his voice.

Kurt shifted to look over his shoulder, the bed squeaked as he did. Their outdoor Christmas tree was still glowing and against its lights he saw fat snowflakes falling slowly, like feathers, to the ground. Kurt turned back to Blaine, kissed him once, feeling his heart speed up when Blaine's soft lips touched his.

"I'm sorry today didn't turn out the way you wanted," he said.

"It's okay," Blaine smiled, "at least the ending is turning out to be pretty perfect."

Their old, dark brown, wooden grandfather clock struck midnight. Each stroke sounded like thunder from where it stood beside their bed. They laid still and listened until the clock silenced.

"Merry Christmas." Kurt's hand found Blaine's and he pulled their clasped hands between their bodies, resting them against Blaine's chest. Underneath layers of skin and muscles, he could feel Blaine's heart beating.

Blaine found Kurt's mouth in a tender kiss, so slow and soft it made Kurt's pulse flutter. "Merry Christmas." Blaine's lips barely left Kurt's as he spoke.

No matter how tomorrow unfolded, Kurt would always remember the first Christmas they spent as husbands, in their first house, sleeping on the small foldable bed that squeaked every time someone shifted, next to the big clock that would wake them up once an hour, with their families present, and Blaine telling him he would always love him. He could not think of a single thing he wanted to change.


End file.
